Adam's Apple [Bonus Track] [Remaster]

Performer: Wayne Shorter
Engineer: Rudy Van Gelder
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Reggie Workman (bass); Joe Chambers (drums). Producer: Alfred Lion. Recorded on February 3 & 24, 1966. Includes liner notes by Don Heckman and Michael Cuscuna. Personnel: Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Joe Chambers (drums). Audio Remasterer: Rudy Van Gelder. Liner Note Authors: Don Heckman; Bob Blumenthal. Recording information: Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (02/24/1966). Photographer: Francis Wolff. For ADAM'S APPLE Wayne Shorter returned to the simple quartet format for the last time in his solo career. This date from 1966 shows the saxophonist firmly between his modal style of the early '60s and his more experimental avant-garde period that was to come with albums like SCHIZOPHRENIA and SUPER NOVA. The effect of Shorter's membership in Miles Davis' legendary group is evident, as his improvisations here are more adventurous and his rhythmic drive more pointed and angular than previous efforts. Above all, this session gives us one last look at Shorter at his most unveiled. The soulful opening title track is a direct precursor to the jazz-rock style that would dominate the jazz world in the late '60s and '70s. A more traditional feel is incorporated for the dark "502 Blues (Drinkin' and Drivin')," a beautiful showcase for Shorter's sensitive side. The bossa nova "El Gaucho" is a highlight and one the saxophonist's most overlooked compositions. Of special note, the classic "Footprints" is presented here for the first time, several months before it was recorded by the Davis group. The delicate ballad "Teru," the bouncing "Chief Crazy Horse" and the bonus swinger "The Collector" complete this must-have session. One often returns to classic recordings with mixed feelings. On one hand, there's the anticipation of hearing great music, and on the other, trepidation that the recording has failed to hold up over time. By 1966 Wayne Shorter had entered one of his most creative periods, both as a solo artist and as a member of Miles Davis' second classic quintet. Besides his skills as a saxophonist, he also proved to be a prolific writer, penning five of Adam's Apple's seven pieces. It didn't hurt Shorter's musical vision to have pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Joe Chambers onboard here, sensitive players who were attentive to the thin lines connecting these post-bop concoctions. Hancock's solo in Jimmy Rowles' "502 Blues (Drinkin' and Drivin')," for instance, skirts gently into another realm, offering a tender counterpoint to Shorter's more aggressive horn. The band quickly sets "El Gaucho"'s framework only to let each player wonder freely in the fashioned space, creating a beautifully layered effect. There's also an early version of "Footprints" that would show up on Miles Smiles the very same year (with both Shorter and Hancock onboard). [The 2003 reissue of Adam's Apple includes a nearly seven-minute take on Hancock's "The Collector," offering yet one more reason to pick up this lovely album.] ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Tenor man Wayne Shorter was one of the foremost figures in jazz saxophone in the latter half of the 20th century. A hugely influential figure, he combined classical-influenced lyricism, bop fire, post-bop viscerality, and free-jazz adventurism. Over the decades, he was in some of the most important groups in jazz history, including Miles Davis's famed '60s quintet and fusion pioneers Weather Report. On his own, he released landmark albums touching on everything from hard bop to the avant garde to world music. His latter-day recordings found him pursuing a more commercial sound, but his pioneering work will never be forgotten or diminished.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25